Track Philly's share of the Obama stimulus funds from home

Philadelphians eager to know how the city is spending federal stimulus dollars, will soon have the answer at their fingertips. This week the city plans to launch a website to let people track the stimulus funds flowing into the area and where it’s going. WHYY’s Elizabeth Fiedler reports.

Philadelphians eager to know how the city is spending federal stimulus dollars, will soon have the answer at their fingertips. This week the city plans to launch a website to let people track the stimulus funds flowing into the area and where it’s going. WHYY’s Elizabeth Fiedler reports.

Listen:
[audio: 090501lfstim.mp3]

Sustainability Director Mark Alan Hughes says the recovery website is meant to engage citizens around the ways in which the stimulus dollars will be spent.

Hughes: It will create jobs, and be spent responsibly and quickly to try and stimulate the economy. Best way we can think about sharing that information is to put it up on our web page so it’s transparent and we can be held accountable for our actions.

Hughes says the city recovery website will ultimately provide information on how much federal money the city has received, how many jobs will be created, and where the work will be done.

The president of the government watchdog group the Committee of 70, Zack Stalberg, says given the dollars at stake, details like the names of contractors and how they are selected should be posted as well.